"The Rally" Goes Global: Notre Dame Dublin Welcomes Record Number of Admitted Students from the Island of Ireland

Notre Dame Dublin recently hosted "The Rally," a special Admitted Students Welcome Reception, bringing together over 35 students from across the island of Ireland who will soon begin their Notre Dame journeys.

The event, co-sponsored by Notre Dame Dublin, the Notre Dame-Newman Centre for Faith and Reason, and the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Ireland, celebrated the growing academic connections between Ireland and the University of Notre Dame. Students and their families gathered to meet alumni and fellow members of the incoming class, hear from University representatives, and get a glimpse into the life of an Irish student at Notre Dame.

Recently admitted students are joining Notre Dame through a wide range of programmes, including four-year undergraduate study, Naughton Fellowship Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs), the ESTEEM M.Sc. in Entrepreneurship, Fulbright Irish Language Teaching Assistantships (FLTAs), the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) M.A. in Education, and study abroad exchanges with partner universities including Dublin City University, University of Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, and University College Dublin.

Students heard from Eimear Clowry Delaney, director of Notre Dame Dublin; Brian Ó Conchubhair, professor of Irish Language and Literature and director of the Irish Language Initiatives; Rebecca Lynch, a parent of two Notre Dame students from Ireland; and Fr. Mark Thesing, C.S.C., director of the Notre Dame-Newman Centre for Faith and Reason. The message was clear: welcome to the Notre Dame family.

It was an amazing opportunity to connect with the University for those international students who cannot not fly to South Bend for “The Rally,” an immersive weekend where admitted students are introduced to the vibrant Notre Dame community, academics, and traditions. That unique, Notre Dame sense of belonging was extended across the Atlantic for a record number of students from Ireland preparing to begin their studies.